Wednesday, February 27, 2013

Reading what you're reading...

Once again, due to multiple holds, I am behind the curve when it comes to the latest hot reads in demand by our patrons. Everyone else in the world, it seems, has already read Gone Girl, by Gillian Flynn, including members of our Brown Bag Book Club.

I must admit that I delayed reading this because a friend of mine disliked it. I usually respect her taste and judgment, so I put it off, with some relief, since I already have so many books on my "to-read" list. But one recent weekend I again found myself at home with no book started, so when I stopped in at Target for some Valentine's Day wrapping paper (for our "Blind Date with a Book" display), I picked up a copy of Flynn's bestseller from an end cap.

I'm glad I did. I enjoyed this book, if that's the right word choice, since it was a somewhat nerve-wracking read. It's suspenseful, especially because where you think it's going in the first half is definitely not where it ends up later on! When I began the book, I thought the language verged on pretentious, but once I got used to her style of storytelling, I appreciated and engaged with it, and was caught up in the lives of these clever and beautiful psychopaths, er, people. Flynn really strings you along, revealing one surprise after another until you are breathless with equal parts anticipation and anxiety. And although some have complained about the open-ended nature of its conclusion, I liked the uncertainty--it made me consider all the possibilities.

Here are a few words from Catherine W., a colleague at the library who listened to the audiobook version:

Catherine: I took the book home, read the beginning, and then set it down and didn’t pick it back up. A few weeks later, a friend suggested we listen to it on audiobook. It is recorded by two readers, Julia Whelan and Kirby Heyborne, who play married couple Amy and Nick. Amy goes missing on the day of their 5th wedding anniversary. Where is she? Did she leave? Did Nick do something to her? I loved the back-and-forth between them, his version in present-day and hers through the pages of her diary. The audiobook kept me going all the way to the end.

According to the Internet Movie Database, the film is in development, with David Fincher as director. Twentieth Century Fox bought the rights, and Reese Witherspoon's production company, Pacific Standard, will produce, provoking a lot of online discussion about Reese in the leading role--but who knows? Also mentioned: Gwyneth Paltrow, Charlize Theron, and a lot of other fan favorites. We'll have to wait and see...